"the rachel maddow show" starts right now. >> a merry, merry, merry, merry christmas to you. you guys have had a hell of a year. >> thanks, rachel. you have a merry christmas. >> thank you. and thanks to you at home for joining us tonight. ahead of this holiday weekend, on a day when the world of news didn't slow down for the holiday weekend, it rather decided to spin on its axis at about three times its normal rate. god grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can, and the wisdom to know the difference. that of course is the serenity prayer, or one well-known version of it, at least, and that prayer is what republican house speaker john boehner reportedly recited to the republicans in congress last night after they defied him and rejected their own party's plan and decided to leave washington rather than participate in making policy to stop the bush tax rates from expiring at the end of the year and the giant spending cuts that have been slated to kick in at the same time. they just left. and as they were set to leave, jo